Ultra-Humanite

Ultra-Humanite
The Ultra-Humanite on the cover of Justice League of America #196 (Nov. 1981), in albino ape's body. Art by George Pérez
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Action Comics #13 (June 1939)
Created by	Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster
In-story information
Alter ego	Gerard Shugel
Team affiliations	Secret Society of Super Villains Time Stealers
Notable aliases	Delores Winters, Johnny Thunder
Abilities	Genius-level intelligence Superhuman strength Mind transference Telepathy Mind control

The Ultra-Humanite is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, usually as a recurring adversary of Superman.

Ultra-Humanite first appeared in Action Comics #13 (June 1939) and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

The Ultra-Humanite is the first supervillain faced by Superman, and among the first supervillains of the Golden Age of Comics. He was designed to be the polar opposite of Superman; while Superman is a hero with superhuman strength, Ultra-Humanite is a criminal mastermind who has a crippled body but a highly advanced intellect. The Ultra-Humanite served as Superman's nemesis until Lex Luthor was introduced in the comics. The origins of the super-criminal known as the Ultra-Humanite are shrouded in mystery. Even he claims not to remember his true name or appearance and attributes his vast intellect and mental prowess to scientific experiments of an unknown nature.

A fiendish "mad scientist", he is paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. His "great goal" is the "domination of the Earth". Portrayed as nearly bald in two texts and as completely bald in two others, he is a "mental giant" and the "head of a vast ring of evil enterprises" whose "fiery eyes burn with terrible hatred and sinister intelligence." His real name is never given, but he has been known as the Ultra-Humanite (Ultra, for short) ever since "a scientific experiment resulted in [his] possessing the most agile and learned brain on Earth!"

"--Unfortunately for mankind," proclaims the villain, "I prefer to use this great intellect for crime. My goal? DOMINATION OF THE WORLD!!"

Superman sets out to smash the so-called Cab Protective League, an underworld organization headed by a racketeer named Jackie Reynolds, which is attempting to seize control of the city's lucrative taxi trade. Reynolds' union, financed by the Ultra-Humanite, intimidates other cab drivers through violence and threats against passengers. Apprehended by Superman, Reynolds is convicted and sentenced to Sing Sing penitentiary. Reynolds escapes by using a cigarette that emits "a mysterious gas" that renders his guards unconscious. Superman tracks Reynolds to his secluded cabin hideout and is about to take him into custody when his attention is called to a second figure in the cabin, a "paralyzed cripple" whose "fiery eyes... burn with a terrible hatred and sinister intelligence": the Ultra-Humanite.